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Additive versus Subtractive Manufacturing

Versatility

Subtractive technologies win big at fabrication versatility when compared to additive methods. While 3D printing might excel in a handful of specific fabrication niches, 3D CNC fabrication technology can be applied to a staggeringly large list of industries and production processes. This makes 3D CNC equipment a better investment for any company wanting the capability to expand into new markets or products. The ability to handle multiple materials is also a key feature of subtractive...

Additive versus Subtractive Manufacturing

Comparing Costs

When it comes to the fabrication of 3D objects, 3D printing and 3D carving provide two different manufacturing methods. While 3D printing has recently been generating a lot of publicity, the fact remains that it is rarely the best, or most realistic, production process.
One of the major factors that makes 3D CNC milling a more appealing option is the dramatically lower production costs associated with it. When comparing the costs of equipment, materials, and time,...

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What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Intelligent Shop Planning and Business Growth

Planning for Success

As outlined above, there are many factors that determine the best shop size for a given CNC fabrication company. However, and this cannot be emphasized enough, each factor is predicated on the presumption of solid business planning. Therefore, before committing to any shop it is vital that you have assessed and identified these factors, so that you can apply this knowledge to your specific business plan.
Know Your Market: What is the potential for growth in...

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Intelligent Shop Planning and Business Growth

Reconceptualising the 'Shop' As a Physical Space

Build Outsourcing Support: For businesses that already have an established market and can better predict their project flow, shop size can range anywhere between 15,000-45,000 ft2. The range is large because each business will have a unique set of needs based on their specialization and production style. Eventually, somewhere between 25,000 and 45,000 ft2 it becomes more economical to turn to outsourcing rather than to increase shop size. Therefore, developing a stable of reliable subcontractors...

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Intelligent Shop Planning and Business Growth

Managing Shop Space the Smart Way

Determining optimal shop size for CNC fabrication equipment is a complicated issue that requires careful thought. While it is easy to measure equipment, shop size is more about production goals than it is about machinery footprints. Depending on your business, your contacts and your cash flow, the size of shop that works best will differ.
Managing Shop Space the Smart Way
Plan for Potential: For new companies it can be quite tempting to secure the smallest shop...

Estimating Project Times: Some Considerations

FINISHING TOUCHES AND STAFF SKILL

The complexity required for finishing a piece will also impact production time. If a project needs to be smooth-finished (compared to a pebbled finish) this will take more time because the coating needs to be sanded smooth. Likewise, protective coating needs can be as basic or as complex as a project requires. At the finishing level, and indeed for the project as a whole, staff skill will also play a significant role. At each stage...

Estimating Project Times: Some Considerations

MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS

Materials factor into time requirements because denser materials take longer to mill or cut. Maximum cutting speeds for 3D CNC routers pertain to light density materials such as foam. If you were to use wood or resin (for example), the time to mill these materials would be somewhat longer. Therefore, what material you need to use for a project will impact production times. Somewhat related to materials are structural support requirements. Depending on the size,...

Estimating Project Times: Some Considerations

MAKING A PROJECT MODEL

Determining how long it takes to do a job depends on numerous features. Many of these times can be dramatically reduced using 3D CNC technology, but others will be specific to individual jobs and these you will have to anticipate. Training and experienced support will go a long way towards helping appropriately gauge time requirements on a project.
MAKING A PROJECT MODEL
Will you be using a physical model or virtual model? What will you be basing...

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New Technology Update: Is Combination CNC Equipment Right for You?

Recognizing Production Demands

Combination CNC equipment, such as FROG360™, refers to a single piece of equipment that can perform the full range of 3D CNC fabrication tasks (scanning, cutting, milling) usually divided between several different machines. Determining if such an equipment solution is the right fit for your business depends on a number of factors including budget, shop size, and production demands.
Recognizing Production Demands
Depending on your specific production needs you might find that a combination machine or a...

New Technology Update: Is Combination CNC Equipment Right for You?

Optimizing Equipment Footprint for Shop Size

Combination CNC equipment, such as FROG360™, refers to a single piece of equipment that can perform the full range of 3D CNC fabrication tasks (scanning, cutting, milling) usually divided between several different machines. Determining if such an equipment solution is the right fit for your business depends on a number of factors including budget, shop size, and production demands.
Optimizing Equipment Footprint for Shop Size
Because combination 3D CNC fabrication technology like the FROG360™ is a single...

New Technology Update: Is Combination CNC Equipment Right for You?

Balancing Budget and Business Growth

Combination CNC equipment, such as FROG360™, refers to a single piece of equipment that can perform the full range of 3D CNC fabrication tasks (scanning, cutting, milling) usually divided between several different machines. Determining if such an equipment solution is the right fit for your business depends on a number of factors including budget, shop size, and production demands.
Balancing Budget and Business Growth
Combination CNC equipment comes in at a substantially lower price point than a...

The Lost Foam Technique and Fiberglass Casting

Why use it?

The benefits to using the lost foam technique are particularly prevalent when doing prototype or custom mold work. Because the materials (foam) are very affordable you can produce unique casts with very little investment on your part. Unlike working with manual methods, automated mold making equipment allows for the exact replication of any mold, so no mold is truly ‘lost’. This means that you can quickly and easily fabricate another identical lost foam mold (should...

Concrete Furniture

Concrete mold making technology is increasingly being used to cast furniture. Ranging from ultramodern designs to new interpretations of classic pieces, concrete furniture is a stunning example of fusing functionality and art. By adding fiberglass or steel reinforcing micro fibres to the concrete and using computer guided molding techniques, artist are able to produce shapes and textures far beyond the expectations of traditional concrete. We have to say that we are impressed! And inspired…
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The Lost Foam Technique and Fiberglass Casting

What is it?

One of the advantages to having 3D CNC mold making technology is the ability to quickly and easily fabricate foam molds for the ‘lost foam’ technique. Named for its resemblance to the famous lost wax casting method, the lost foam technique uses a foam mold that is destroyed in the casting process. With fiberglass, the lost foam technique is most commonly used for internal molds, where the fiberglass is laid over the foam mold or...

Concrete Barriers as Functional Art

Casting Considerations

That the rise of artistic concrete barriers corresponds to the development of 3D CNC mold making technology is no coincidence. When it comes to making complex and/or custom molds quickly and easily there is nothing that compares to a 3D CNC foam carving router. When used in conjunction with a 3D scanner and powerful 3D modeling software, any object- real or imaginary- can become the source for a mold. This flexibility during the design and...

Concrete Barriers as Functional Art

Design Considerations

Look around and you will see a wide variety of cast concrete barriers ranging from pillars and urns to abstract modern shapes. Depending on the purpose and location of a barrier some designs might be better suited. For example, formal buildings which want to denote boundaries might chose a cast concrete marker in a classical style with a more rigid form in order to create clear property lines, while a public path that follows a...

Fun with Shapes

Check out this great of example of a project that combines perimeter security and artistic form. Rather than using plain concrete barriers, Quick Crete, a member of the FROG3D network, designed and fabricated a stunning collection of spheres to be used as boundary markers.
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Concrete Barriers as Functional Art

Basic Considerations

Increasingly, 3D cast concrete barriers situated in public spaces are transitioning from being merely functional to being a contributing element to the general aesthetic of a space. In other words, they are becoming functional art.
Having a good idea of both the number and size of cast concrete markers that will be needed is an important part of the planning process, as this will impact budget and production needs for the project as a whole. In...

Concrete Release Agents

Budget

Budget is another factor to consider when selecting a release agent. While coverage per gallon provides an easy means of comparison, the real selection criteria should be geared towards the preservation (or not) of the mold and the required quality of the finished project. Depending on the type of mold used you may wish to reuse it multiple times and so therefore choosing an expensive release agent that maximizes mold life will save you a...

Concrete Kitchen

Concrete kitchens are a growing trend in home design and with results that look like this it makes perfect sense. A clean, modern look, cast concrete counters and shelves can also be easily customized to fit the dimensions of any room or space. What a great blend of functionality and art!
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Concrete Release Agents

Application

When it comes to the actual application of a release agent there are few general rules that will result in a better final project. Firstly, more is rarely better when it comes to release agents. Applying the thinnest coat possible produces the best results because it prevents excess release agent from pooling in low points in the mold. This is important particularly when dealing with fine detail or complex 3D casting because pooled release agent...

Concrete Release Agents

Mold Material

When selecting a release agent for a mold it is important to consider both the type of concrete and the material of the mold itself. For example, concretes with microsilia, high admixture components and high-range water reducers will have adverse reactions with chemically active release agents and require the use of a barrier release agent instead. Likewise, colored concretes can distort unless the correct release agent is used. For molds, some materials, such as wood...

Rethinking the Mold

Here is a provocative project by Rachael Whiteread. An artist who specializes in 3D concrete, Whiteread turned an entire condemned townhouse into a mold. The result? A 3D concrete cast of the interior of the home. Simply entitled House, the project is a great example of the use of concrete in dimensional modern art.
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Concrete Release Agents

Types of Release Agents

When it comes to concrete casting, release agents often fail to get the attention they deserve. However, ensuring the use of the correct release agent for a concrete cast can be the difference between the success or the failure of a 3D cast concrete project. Without a release agent there is a good chance that the form and the mold will not separate cleanly and instead you will be left with either pieces of the...

Making Cheap Concrete Molds

Contracting Out

A final means of helping to keep mold making costs low is to explore the possibilities of contracting out sections of the work. Two common areas that might be contracted out are the design process and the creation of a GRFC mold. For the design process, rather than keeping a concept artist in-house, it might be economical to use a contract artist. This allows you to hire them on a project specific basis, bringing them...

Making Cheap Concrete Molds

Planning Ahead

It may seem self-evident, but planning ahead is one of the biggest ways in which to bring down the costs of mold making. There are three major areas of consideration that should be fully articulated before any production actually begins. The first of these is project conceptualisation. One of the most expensive parts of mold making is having to make a new mold (and a new concrete product) because the clients hate the first attempt....

Want to See More Cool Projects?

Here at Streamline we get to see tons of amazing projects that our clients are working on. We try to share as many as we can through our FROGBlog and the LEAP Network but another great place to follow along is on our Facebook page. It’s always being updated with new and interesting stuff so make sure to check it out!
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